Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-19
PLOTTING AGAINST THE SCHOOL BOOK
SYSTEM.

PLOTTING AGAINST THE SCHOOLcBOOK
SYSTEM.
The San Francisco Call publishes as in
terview with Superintendent of Schools
Anderson, of that city, in which he ex-
presses the opinion that the State Board of
Education has not printed nearly
enough textbooks to supply the demand
when the schools reopen for the new
school year. The Superintendent Gig
ures" this out to his own satisfaction, at
least. So far as that is concerned. the
Governor and Superintendent of Public
instruction must answer. They constitute
the committee to which is intrusted the
whole matter Of ordering further issuance
OF books upon the basis of the funds now
on hand. Concerning that expenditure
the committee is yet to be heard from, and
until it is, it may be well to suspend iudg-
ment. 1t would appear, however, to be a
small matter whether the work is done
now or later on, if, as is alleged, there is
provided a sufficient number of readers
and spoilers to meet the demand. But we
shall not assume that these gentlemen are
planning to defeat the law, or deliberately
setting about to violate their official oaths.
1t will be time enough to arraign them
when it shall appear that they fail to an
ticipate the demand for books.
Superintendent Anderson, in discussing
the subject, takes occasion to make an as
sault upon the whole scheme of State pub
LEGATION of textbooks. He is certainly en-
titled to the credit of frankness in avow-
ing his enmity to the system, but it is in
explicable how he can justify himself in
denouncing that upon which the people,
in their sovereign capacity, have rendered
the verdict of practically unanimous APP
proval. Mr.. Anderson says:
] have ever been opposed to the whole
scheme There IS no economy in it. The plant
for the publication of these books cost a very
large amount of money, and every one knows
that the management of it entails the very
heaviest outlay for salaried Sinecures aud the
pay ultut vi VI ~ 10 every man employed there
for eight hours spent in doing as little work as
possible. And then the books are poorly gotten
up. They are bound so miserably that the COW
eTs VIII soon be lost even with ordinary han
ding But cheap as the books appear in quail
ity and workmanship, cannot help but doubt
whether the prices charged for them anywhere
near cover the cost of their publication.
These are the dogmatic assertions of a
disgruntled man, the motive for whose dis
safiSfactio, axc;ta, -,,.,,;o;o.> II G..
tendent Anderson had informed himself,
as he might have done with great ease, he
never would have committed himself to
the fiat misstatements we have quoted
The facts have been repeatedly stated and
published. They have formed the subject
for several official expositions. They were
closely examined by the late Chief Execu-
tive officer of the State and by the Legis-
iature, and in both instances the econ
omy" of the scheme was clearly demon
strated. 1t is fact which neither
Superintendent Anderson nor any other
ayowed or secret enemy of the system can
gainsay, that the new school-books are
furnished to the people at very much less
than half the cost of those they were for
merly compelled 10 purchase of private
book concerns. This cost to the people is
ascertained after deducting the entire first
cost to the State. So repeatedly have we
set forth the figures showing these facts
that we cannot assume the people to be in
that state of ignorance to which Mr.. An
derson confesses on his own behalf. or the
official statements would be here repro
duced.
When the Superintendent commits him
self to the charge that the books are
cheap in quality and workmanship. and
$50 miserably bound that the covers will
be lost even with ordinary handling he
flies in the face, not only of the common
sense of the ordinary observer, but fatty
gives the lie to experts. We have no hes
itancy in speaking of Mr.. Anderson's Vi
cious assault as truth and justice warrant.
lie misreDresents and misuses his office
when he 50 zeaiously serves the book
rings that have bled the people of Cali
lorna so many years. As a public official
OF city whose people voted in favor of
the new system, he should exercise wiser
discretion
The truth is, there is deep-laid and
despicable scheme on foot to break down
the new school-book system, and such state
ments as those of Superintendent Andersen
on their face justify their classification as
part and parcel of the plot The recent
outcry against the workmanship in the
manufacture of the books, the trick of so
opening them as to break the stitching.
the return of books that have apparently
been battered upon an anvil-these and
.her matters are evidences that the book
publishers and their agents propose TO
stand at nothing to accomplish their ends.
So rich State as California proved for
years to book rings is not to be
abandoned by them without final